Side-curtain support for vehicles.



A. LOOMIS.

SIDE CURTAIN SUPPORT FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1908. Lmwm Patented Dec.3,1912,

2 SHEETSSHEBT l.

A. LOOMIS. SIDE CURTAIN SUPPORT FOR VEHICLES.

I APPLICATION FILED NOV. e, 1908. 1,645,61 Patented De0.3,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ALLEN LOOMIS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGN'OR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO PACKARD MOTOR CAR COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

SIDE-CURTAIN SUPPORT FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3,1912.

Application filed November 6, 1908. Serial No. 461,376.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLEN LOOMIS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Detroit, in the county'of IVayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Side-Curtain Supports for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to side curtain su ports for vehicles and has particular reference to the section of the side curtain which is immediately above and secured to the door in the body of the vehicle.

Its objects are to provide a simple, convenient and easily applied means for so supporting the door section of the curtain that it will move with the door when opened and will make proper connection with the canopy and adjacent curtain when the door is closed. I

It embodies a supporting rod simplein construction, which may be applied to any ordinary vehicle with very slight modification of the vehicle itself, and which may be easily and quickly detached without leaving anything to mar or affect the appearance of the vehicle.

Its novel features and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of a motor vehicle having my support applied thereto and having the side curtains removed; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the side curtains in place and showing my support in dotted lines; Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a portion of the door, the edge of the canopy and the intermediate side curtain sections; Fig. 4 is a detail side view of my support; and Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the support.

In the drawings I have shown my invention applied to a well known form of motor vehicle. The body 1 of the vehicle is provided with the side door 2, supported by the hinges 3, 4, and above the body the usual canopy 5 is mounted upon the usual bows. Side curtains 6, 7 and 8 fill the space between the canopy and the body, and the sections 6 and 7 are secured in place in the usual way. Section 8.which is the door section is secured at its rear edge to the upright bow 9 and at its bottom is secured to the top of the door 2. Its forward edge and the forward part of its upper edge are not secured to the adjacent curtain or parts of the vehicle, but are left free so that this curtain section may move with the door when it is opened.

The features of construction thus far described are broadly old and my invention relates to the means for supporting the curtain 8 in proper position and so that it will move with the door and remain upright while moving. In order to support the door section of the curtain I use a rod 10, which is arranged diagonally above the door and is secured at its upper end to the upper free corner of the curtain section by the usual button 11. This rod is pivotally supported at its lower end at the hinged end of the door, and I preferably support it direct-1y from the hinge itself. The hinge bolt 12 of the upper hinge 4; is made with an eye or loop 13 in its upper end and the lower end of the rod 10 is made with a bend 14 which is adapted to enter this loop and this end is detaohably secured within the loop in any suitable way. The rod 10 is preferably made of two telescoping sections having therein the spring 15 which makes the rod longitudinally compressible, and for convenience of storing the rod is preferably provided with a hinge 16.

It will be observed that when the rod is secured as above indicated it will hold the curtain 8 distended, and since this curtain is secured to the door at its bottom, it, together with the supporting rod, will move with the door when it is opened, the rod turning on the hinge bolt 12 as a pivot and the curtain bending-upon the dotted line 17. It will be observed that this supporting rod may be quickly and easily applied to the curtain and to the vehicle, and may be as quickly removed and stored, and it will be further observed" that it is applicable to any ordinary vehicle by the very slight change incident to adding the loop 13 to the upper hinge bolt.

In order that the movable door section and the side curtain may make proper connection with the adjacent side curtain and also with the canopy I make the door'section of such length and height as to overlap the edges of the adjacent section and canopy. When the door is closed these overlapping edges are to be tucked under the adjacent edges of the curtain and canopy so as to make a complete water-tight screen. As clearly shown in Fig. 8, I secure along the by stitches 21, thus leaving a pocket between the edge of the canopy and the flap into which the upper edge of thedoor section'is tucked. The compressibility of the supporting rod IO'permits the edges of the door section to be brought under the adjacent flapsand to be properly tucked in place, and since the rod Wlll expand long1- tudinally under the influence of the sprlng when the curtain is in place it will properly hold the door section tucked in beneath the adjacent sections. Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a vehicle, the combination with a vehicle body, of a hinged door for said body,

a curtain section above said door terminating approximately at the front end of said door, and an upwardly extending rod pivotally secured at the hinge end of said door and supporting the upper forward edge of said 'curtaiii section.

2. In a vehicle, the combination with a vehicle body, of a hinged door for said body, a curtain section above said door terminating approximately at the front end of said door, a diagonally arranged longitudinally compressible rod secured at its lower end at the hinge end of said door and at its upper end to the forward upper cornor of the curtain section, and resilient means tending to extend said rod longitudinall 3. In a vehicle, the combination with a vehicle body, of a hinged door for said body, a curtain section above said door terminating approximately at the front end of said door, and a diagonally arranged rod pivotally secured at its lower end to the hinge of said door and at its upper end to the forward upper corner of the curtain section.

4. In a vehicle, the combination with a vehicle body, of a door therein, hinges for said door, the upper hinge being provided with a hinge bolt having an eye or loop on its upper end, a curtain section above said door terminating approximately at the front end of said door, and a diagonally arranged rod secured at its lower end in the loop of said hinge bolt and secured at its upper end 7 to the upper edge of said curtain section.

5. In a vehicle, the combination with a vehicle body, of a door therein, hinges for said door, the upper hinge being provided with a hinge bolt having an eye or loop on its upper end, and a rod having its lower end so bent as to fit in said loop and having at its upper end means for securing it to a curtain.

6. In a vehicle, the combination with a vehicle body, of a door therein, hinges for said door, the upper hinge being provided with a hinge bolt having an eye or loop on its upper end, and a longitudinally compressible rod having its lower end so bent as to fit in said loop and having at its upper end means for securing it toa curtain.

7. In a vehicle, the combination with a vehicle body, of a hinged door for said body, a canopy above said body, side curtains between said canopy and body including a door section secured at its bottom to said door and at its rear edge to said vehicle, and a diagonally arranged rod pivotally supported at its lower end on the body of the vehicle and secured at its upper end to the upper free corner of the door section of the side curtains.

8. In a vehicle, the combination with a vehicle body, of a hinged. door for said body, a canopy above said body, side curtains between said canopy and body including a door section secured at its bottom to said door and at its rear edge to said vehicle, a diagonally arranged I longitudinally com pressible rod pivotally supported at its lower end and secured at its upper end to the upper free corner of the door section of the side curtains, and resilient means tending to extend said rod longitudinally.

9. In a vehicle, the combination with a vehicle body, of a door for said body, a canopy above said body, side curtains between said canopy and body including a door section, the said door section being secured to the door at its bottom and being sufficiently wide and high to overlap the edges of the canopy and adjacent side curtain and having a margin adapted to be tucked in beneath the edges of the canopy and side curtain, a diagonally arranged longitudinally compressible rod secured to and supporting the upper free corner of said door section, and resilient means tending to extend said rod longitudinally.

10. In avehicle, the combination with a vehicle body, of a door for said body, a canopy above said body, side curtains between said canopy and body including a door section, the said door section being secured to the door at its bottom and overlapping the lower edge of the canopy whereby it may be tucked in beneath said lower edge, a longitudinally compressible rod secured to the upper edge of said door section to support the same, and resilient means tending to extend said rod longitudinally.

11. In a vehicle, the combination with a vehicle body, of a door for said body, a canopy above said body, side curtains between said canopy and body including a door section, the said door section being secured to the door at its bottom, and overtaining said door section in extended position.

12. In a vehicle, the combination with a vehicle body, of a door for said body, a canopy above said body, side curtains between said canopy and body including a door section, the edge of said canopy above said door section having a flap secured thereto and the door section overlapping the ed e of the canopy whereby it may be tucked 1n between said flap and the edge of the canopy, a telescopic rod for holding said door section in extended position, and a spring adapted to extendfthe sections of said rod.

13. In a vehicle, the combination with a vehicle body, of a door therein, a canopy above said body, side curtains including-a door section, and a longitudinally compre$- sible support secured to said section at the edge and having spring means for holding said door section extended.

14:. In a vehicle, the combination with the vehicle body provided with a door, of a canopy above said body, side curtains including a door section, and a folding rod pivotally secured to the body of the vehicle and adapted to support the forward upper corner of the. door section.

15. In a vehicle, the combination with the vehicle body havin a door therein, of a canopy above said ody, side curtains including a door section, and a folding rod adapted to support said door section and having a portion thereof longitudinally extensible and provided with spring means adapted to normally hold the rod extended.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALLEN LOOBHS.

Witnesses:

HowARn HARKNESS, L. C. TENNEY. 

